Oedipus the King

Oedipus The King Essay Ever wonder if you’ve already met the person that you’ll someday marry? In Oedipus The King by Sophocles, it seems that Oedipus married someone that once knew him well. As a matter of fact, a little too well. In this play, a man named Oedipus became king in a very fascinating way, from having a very out of the ordinary kind of past. From a baby he was orphaned, left to die a very brutal death, because of a prophecy too unbearable for his true parents to accept. His new adoptive parents then raise him, never to reveal who they were, somehow Oedipus finds out about the ugly things he will do to them.That he will kill his father and marry his own mother. Afraid of this, he sets off to another city, where his real parents live and unknowingly he completes his prophecy. Sophocles used irony throughout the play, Oedipus The King, which impacted the drama experience greatly for the audience. The words of the priest, Jocasta and Oedipus were filled with dramatic irony. This use of irony is clearly shown in the words and actions of the priest. The priest tries to reason Oedipus to take account of the city’s situation. To see through his eyes, of the plague that occurred because of the wrongful death of king Laius and of his son’s Oedipus’s wrong doings, which he doesn’t even know of the bad that he has done. The priest says, “ Oh look upon the city, see the storm that batters down the city’s prow in waves of blood” (Sophocles 5). This is ironic because the priest is asking the city’s problem, Oedipus, for help, as he also states, “ Mend the city, make her safe” (Sophocles 6). Good people are suffering in all of Oedipus’s sins. This is ironic because Oedipus is the city’s problem after all. The irony of Jocasta’s words are also shown clearly, with out a doubt. Jocasta had no idea that Oedipus, the man she married was the son she and Laius left to be killed such a long time ago. She was so relieved that Oedipus was not the fault of his fathers death, Polybus, since she didn’t know that Oedipus was her actual son. which his real father is Laius and Oedipus was guilty of his death. Jocasta explained, “ At least your fathers death has lightened up the scene” (Sophocles 52). Jocasta never once thought about her son’s prophecy , she never had to since she thought that he was dead. Ironically, until the messenger gives out the news that he had received a baby, in which a king and queen wanted to do away with. She muttered, “Forget it all. It’s not worth knowing” (Sophocles 58). Jocasta felt immediately full of guilt. She had to burden that supposed secret her whole life, and she didn’t want Oedipus to find out the nasty truth, so she pleaded, “ In the name of Heaven, don’t proceed! For your own life’s sake, stop! And I’ve been tortured long enough” ( Sophocles 59). It is very ironic how Jocasta never knew that Oedipus was her son she tried to get rid of, while he was so close to her. Thirdly, the use of irony is used through the words of Oedipus. Oedipus didn’t know any better, it wasn’t his fault that he had to get through that prophecy. He didn’t even know who his real parents were until such a long time after, his past was confusing to him, running away from home so that he wouldn’t harm the adoptive parents he had proceeded come to his birthplace instead. And not having an idea of who was the person he killed was his father, king Laius. Oedipus states, “ For who knows, tomorrow this selfsame murderer may turn his bloody hands on me. The cause of Laius therefore is my own” (Sophocles 11). Ironically Oedipus is the fault, and he didn’t know that until the messenger told them the information they needed to put his whole life story together. A very tragic end for he and his wife/ mother Jocasta, his father king Laius and even his sons and daughters that have to live with all of that. Oedipus’s eyes had now opened to the truth. He responded, “ This father killed his father, tilled the womb again from which he sprang, to beget you very children from his bed of birth”(Sophocles 78). Oedipus had his last words to say before he was immediately banished. A tragic loss for him and his family. In conclusion, the play Oedipus The King by Sophocles greatly impacted the audience by its use of dramatic irony. Main characters like Oedipus, Jocasta and the priest used words widely considered ironic from a dramatic standpoint. Oedipus’s past was all a blur for him from childhood, for not having his true parents by his side just because of the prophecy of him killing his father and marrying his own mother. All in all Sophocles achieved his goal of using dramatic irony as a literary tool throughout his play.